Thermometers Disposal

Mercury Device Exchange

Environmental Health & Safety will exchange your mercury thermometer (or another mercury-containing device) with a mercury-free one. To determine if your thermometer contains mercury, examine the fluid. If the fluid is silver-colored, it is mercury. If it's red, it's alcohol, and if it's blue or green, it's the new environmentally safe fluid. Mercury is a toxic element and when a mercury thermometer is broken, special care must be taken to clean it up. Thermometers broken in water baths or ovens tables are particularly troublesome to clean up. Mercury manometers contain large amounts of mercury and many thousands of dollars can be spent cleaning up after a spilled or broken manometer.

Please complete this form to begin an exchange.

Contact Information

Hazardous Materials Group

Phone: 540-231-3600
Email: chemwaste@vt.edu